You’re Doing the Wrong Work
During a networking event last week, I overheard one of my clients say something really interesting (and a bit troubling):
I spend so many hours in meetings, I never have enough time for the real work. Last month — pre-Thanksgiving! — I clocked more than 100 meeting hours.
That’s nuts! But not at all unusual.
Because while most leaders don’t deliberately choose to be in so many meetings, the meetings choose them. Standing meetings, status updates, quick check-ins, and more — slowly, they take over the calendar.
Over time, meetings become “the work” — even when they leave leaders exhausted, reactive, and disconnected from what matters most. But opting out can feel risky or irresponsible.
Interestingly, and despite the ubiquity of meetings in nearly every organization, few leaders I have worked with ever describe them as a top priority.
Distractions Are Everywhere
Meetings may be the prime example of company inertia, but the problem is really one of distraction and prioritization. As humans, we are especially good at finding ways to put off doing what we know matters most.
For example, earlier this month, I was preparing to deliver an important leadership program, one that required lots of my time, attention, and energy. So, what high-leverage activity did I choose to do in the midst of the final push? If you guessed, “rearrange the furniture in your office,” you are correct.
But why? Because when the gravity and importance of a task start to feel overwhelming — “I better not screw this up” — we take defensive steps. That often means reaching for something easier, less risky, and immediately rewarding. I chose furniture; other people may choose checking email, posting on LinkedIn, or holiday shopping on Amazon. (Okay, that last one was me again.)
These are all examples of “substitution behavior” — activities that give us a brief sense of progress and a nice dopamine hit. But they are movement without meaningful impact and contribute nothing to the more important, higher priority goals we have set for ourselves.
Distractions also show up when time already feels tight. The dog has a sudden bout of “intestinal distress” as you’re heading out the door. Your child calls to tell you they just got a flat tire on the Schuylkill Expressway. You realize you left your phone at Starbucks. The problem isn’t that life happens, it’s that when we don’t protect time for what actually matters when we can, last-minute emergencies can take down your day and your plan.
What Does Distraction Cost?
You miss your goals. The important work gets pushed off until “tomorrow,” which eventually turns into never. It’s one thing to fall short of goals; it’s especially frustrating when the miss was avoidable.
You live in a chronic state of stress. When everything feels urgent, your nervous system never gets a break. Even when you manage to step away from work, your overwhelm impacts your sleep, relationships, and health.
You experience decision fatigue. Being forced, hour by hour, to decide who and what is most deserving of your attention is exhausting. It drains you of willpower and further distracts from what matters most.
Your organization's culture suffers. Your team is watching you; they follow whatever you model. When the norm becomes chasing the squeakiest wheel or the latest emergency, a reactive culture is created.
What’s the Fix?
Decide once — then make it a habit.
I worked with a writing coach who encouraged me to pick the best time of day to write, for just 30 minutes, and then do it daily … before anything else could get in the way. I chose early mornings and wrote first thing. The impact was enormous. Progress happened because I stopped renegotiating with myself.
Be intentional about meetings.
Of course, some meetings are important and productive. But before accepting or scheduling one, pause and ask: Does this truly require my participation, or could it be handled another way or without me entirely? When leaders are thoughtful about where they show up, they create space for the work only they can do.
Eliminate distractions that masquerade as work.
As financial advisor and writer Carl Richards suggests, ask yourself: What’s one way you’ve been spending your time, energy, or attention that you’d never spend your money on? That question has a way of exposing habits that feelproductive, but quietly pull you away from what matters most.
Time-block your priorities.
If something is truly important, it belongs on your calendar. Block time for your most valuable work and treat it like any other nonnegotiable commitment — not something you’ll “try to get to” if time allows. (Hint: time never allows.)
Create a “forcing mechanism.”
Accountability is priority cement: a public deadline, a promise to a colleague, a commitment to your team of what and when you will deliver. This creates just enough “good” pressure to keep the high-value work front and center.
The ”Wrong Work” is Everywhere
There’s no shortage of things to do — in work and in life. So you need to choose: presence over pressure; clarity over urgency; direction over distraction.
Your responsibility as a leader is to invest your time and energy where it creates real impact — for your team, your organization, and yourself.